The latest Kenley Jansen MLB and fantasy baseball news

Los Angeles Dodgers RP Kenley Jansen (foot) was off crutches Tuesday, March 17, and he was scheduled to play catch. He has been throwing with his knee on a chair.

Fantasy Tip: Jansen might miss a month of the regular season, but he appears to be making great progress after surgery to remove a growth from his foot. He is a decent stash candidate in all league, and a viable selection in the middle tiers of closers on draft day.

Los Angeles Dodgers RP Kenley Jansen (foot) said an MRI revealed the growth in his foot was not life-threatening and was mostly just fluid in the bone. Jansen noted doctors told him the problem was fixed and is not expected to return. The current recovery timeline has a possible return by early May.

Fantasy Tip: Jansen has a career 14.0 K/9 mark and 97 saves over the past thee seasons, so he'll be a worthy stash candidate in all leagues. He is a viable selection among the middle tiers of closers on draft day. Currently, the closing duties are up in the air, so check back for updates on both Jansen's recovery timetable and who will fill in for him.

Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Dodgers RP Kenley Jansen (foot) will be on crutches for about 10 days and in a protective boot for another three to four weeks after having a growth removed from one of the bones in his foot. The Dodgers have no obvious replacement at closer for Jansen, with RP Brandon League maybe being the likeliest candidate because of his 74 career saves. RP J.P. Howell has 21 career saves, and RP Joel Peralta could also be an option.

Fantasy Tip: Jensen, in a best-case scenario, will probably be ready in early May. That means the Dodgers have to fill the closer situation for a month without him. Based on Peralta's numbers with the Tampa Bay Rays the past several seasons, he seems like the best bet to handle most of the opportunities if the Dodgers don't go outside the organization for help. If you're a Jansen owner, the best course of action would be to pick up Peralta or Howell and sit on Jansen for the first month.

Los Angeles Dodgers RP Kenley Jansen (foot) had surgery Tuesday, Feb. 17, to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot. The recovery time is estimated to be eight to 12 weeks. He will be on crutches for about 10 days and then a boot for three to four weeks.

Fantasy Tip: With Jansen sidelined, it's uncertain who will handle ninth-inning duties. Brandon League, Joel Peralta or perhaps J.P. Howell might get a crack at saves unless the team looks outside of the organization for help. Jansen might miss the first month of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the team decided to keep 12 pitchers on its NLDS roster instead of carrying an extra position player because of instability in the bullpen. Last season, Mattingly frequently relied upon RP Brian Wilson to pitch the eighth inning, with CL Kenley Jansen pitching in the ninth. "Now, we're matching up, we're multiple guys at the end of the game, so we're just using more pitchers to get to where we need to go," Mattingly said.

Los Angeles Dodgers RP Kenley Jansen has a 1.22 ERA in 7 1/3 innings since May 11 and has given up only three hits, struck out 12 and walked one. Jansen pitched in 63 percent of the team's games in April and only 33 percent of the games in May.

Fantasy Tip: Jansen's slow start likely had something to do with his heavy usage in the season's first month, and the fact that the team started early due to their Australia series. Now that he's had more rest in the last month, he looks to be at peak form.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be cognizant of easing the workload of RP Kenley Jansen, who entered the game Thursday, April 24, with 15 appearances of the team's first 22 games. "We're paying attention," said manager Don Mattingly. "There are a lot of factors. Our starters have been 12th in innings pitched. Our bullpen has pitched 80 innings. We've asked a lot of innings out there. Now we're playing 29 of 30 (days)." Jansen said his arm feels fine.

Fantasy Tip: This shouldn't change how you view Jansen. He's still a top-tier closer. However, there may be some instances where the team rests him during a save situation in favor of Brian Wilson or Chris Perez in the ninth inning occasionally.